The Ties That Bind Us
by AlieCat
Summary: This is a series of one-shots about John and Sherlock and their lives together after getting married and having a daughter.
1. And Baby Makes Three

**Authors Note: This is a series of one-shots about the Watson-Holmes family. Some of it may be in order, but there are no guarantees so I apologize if that bothers you. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

_And Baby Makes Three:_

Sherlock Holmes crept soundless down the stairs. He felt pathetic sneaking around in his own home, but he was trying to avoid his husband, John Watson. The couple had been married for two years and were currently having a spat about one of John's favorite topics, children, more specifically their children.

John longed for a child of their own, and though he knew it was best not to push Sherlock, two years had passed and Sherlock refused to even consider the possibility of a child. John wanted to discuss the possibility of a baby, but Sherlock's avoidance of the topic sent John into a rage causing Sherlock to have spent the last few nights sleeping in the spare bedroom and hiding from John.

Sherlock continued downstairs slowly, hoping John was in bed for the evening.

"Sherlock?" John called from the couch, Sherlock was out of luck.

"Good evening, John." Sherlock said, moving slowly towards the kitchen.

"We need to talk, Sherlock," John said standing up. "We can't avoid this forever."

Sherlock sighed, "What's there to talk about, John? You want a baby I do not. There we talked."

John's face turned a light shade of pink with his increasing anger. "We are married, Sherlock. For Christ's sake, we don't have to agree on everything, but we need to talk through our problems. Especially with something like this. Why won't you talk to me?"

Sherlock was speechless. How did he express his feelings on the matter when he had never been the type to share what was on his mind? He was a man of logic not of emotions and the topic of children was a topic based on emotions more so than logic.

Sherlock joined John on the couch and turned to face him. "Why is it so important to discuss children now?"

"We've been married for two years. We aren't getting any younger. We are financially stable. I don't see why you are so against starting a family with me. Please, Sherlock, explain to me why this is such a problem for you because I don't understand." John waited, but Sherlock stayed silent. "Talk to me, Sherlock, please."

Sherlock took a deep breath, "I'm scared, John. I can't be a father. I'm not cut out for that kind of thing, don't you see. It takes more than money and age to be a parent, John. It takes more than I could offer a child. I love you, John. I truly do, but I don't know if I could provide the right kind of love for a baby." Sherlock shifted awkwardly in place. He felt like he had shared too much, and the look on John's face made it clear this conversation was far from over.

"What do you mean you aren't cut out to be a parent? Sherlock, you are incredible. Sure, you may not be the stereotypical father, but we aren't exactly the stereotypical family. I love you, Sherlock, and if it's any consultation, I think you would be a brilliant parent. I'm not saying we have to have a baby right now. I just don't want to shut the door on that option forever, Sherlock, because we could do this."

Sherlock wrapped his arms around John and curled into him. "Thank you, John." He whispered, touched by the fact John believed in him. "I just don't know. What if something happens? Even if I don't mess the kid up, someone could harm them. It happened to you, John, and I don't think I could live with myself if that happened to anyone else."

"Then we catch them and kick their arse before throwing them to Lestrade. Sherlock, we could do this. We can take care of a baby and keep them safe, I swear to you. I wouldn't lie to you, especially not about this."

Sherlock paused, pondering what John had said. Despite everything John had said, Sherlock did not believe having a baby was best for him, but he didn't know what would be best for them as a couple. Maybe a baby wouldn't be so bad. He just wondered if he would be good enough for it. "Alright." Sherlock said. "Alright, let's give it a go, then. I don't promise I will be a good father, but I promise I'll try."

John was speechless. He didn't believe convincing Sherlock would be this easy. They were going to become fathers. John kissed Sherlock and hugged him tightly. He couldn't wait until they had their child in their arms, and he couldn't wait to prove Sherlock wrong. Their family would be perfect.

* * *

_Seven Months Later:_

John burst into 221B Baker Street early one Friday afternoon with exciting news for him and Sherlock.

"Sherlock? Sherlock? Where are you?" John called.

Sherlock ran down the stairs half-dressed and very obviously scared. "What's wrong? Why are you yelling?" He took a good look at John and then it hit him. "We're having a baby aren't we?"

"Yes. The agency called me just now. There's a young woman, sixteen, who wants a closed adoption for her baby. She chose us, Sherlock. It's happening. We are going to be parents." John threw himself into Sherlock's arms, his face lit up with joy. Sherlock however was more nervous. This was happening so fast. He didn't expect they'd find a child for them so soon. He wasn't ready yet, but there was no turning back now. John was so happy, and there was a child involved. Two children really if you count the mother who chose them.

"We were asked to come down at three to meet the mother so she can decide if we are really the right choice, but she's pretty adamant about signing the papers and having everything official. She's eight months pregnant, and her boyfriend's left her so she's ready to have everything squared away so she can't change her mind." John said.

By the time they made it to the adoption center, John had told Sherlock everything he knew about Marie Knack, the girl having their baby. She was sixteen years old, and her mum didn't want her sacrificing her future for a baby from her boyfriend, who was two years older and pretty much a loser. He was a dropout and was constantly cheating on Marie. His name was James, and as of a few weeks ago he was out of Marie's life for good. Marie's mum didn't believe her prompting the rushed adoption. John and Sherlock were the third of five couples they looked at, and they had been agreed on by Marie and her mum within a week.

John and Sherlock gripped each other's hands as they walked into their agent, Catherine Jackson's, office.

"Hello, John, Sherlock. This is Claudia and Marie Knack. Claudia, Marie, this is John Watson and his husband, Sherlock Holmes." Catherine said.

"Hello." John said as he and Sherlock shook each of their hands.

"Pleasure to meet you." Sherlock said, hiding his nerves.

"And you Mr. Holmes." Claudia said.

"So, Marie, gentlemen, today we need to discuss what each of you hopes to get out of this adoption, and then we can decide any plans for the future. Strictly speaking, I am here to help with the legalities of adoption. How and when the adoption takes place is up to the three of you. Since you already have the father's consent for an adoption, we don't have to worry about him, but, Marie, you are able to change your mind if you decide you are looking for someone else for your baby." Catherine said, causing Claudia to shoot her a nasty look and John to grip Sherlock's hand tighter. "Let's begin. Marie what are you looking for when it comes to visitation."

Marie glanced at her mother looking nearly as nervous as Sherlock felt. "I just want it to go away. I'll have the baby, but that's it. I want to forget about it. Once the baby's born, it's all yours. I won't be showing up for Christmas or birthdays. I don't want to be a mum." She was on the verge of tears, but her mother did nothing to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you Marie," John said. "But Sherlock and I thank you so much for considering us for your baby. No matter if you change your mind before the baby is born or not I am so thrilled to think I may be able to raise this child."

Marie smiled at him. "I'm glad some good will come of this, Mr. Watson. You and Mr. Holmes will be great dads."

The rest of the meeting was brief. Marie wanted to sign her rights over right away making it official. As soon as the baby was born, it would go directly to Sherlock and John. Marie did however insist on keeping the gender a surprise until next month when it was born so it would be harder to bond with them baby. She felt it would hurt less when she left the hospital alone if she wasn't able to dream of the baby growing up with her before then. John and Sherlock had a month at the most to prepare for this. They were going to be parents, and they had little time to prepare.

* * *

_Two Weeks Later:_

John was prepared; at least he thought he was. He and Sherlock went out the same afternoon they found out about the baby and bought enough clothes and toys for ten children. They also got a cot, a changing table, and all the other necessities they thought they would need for the baby. Sherlock had even felt some of his nerves slip away as he was more concerned with arguing with John about the baby's gender than worrying about actually raising the baby. John believed they were having a son and bought several things in various shades of blue, green, and even yellow so it was still neutral, while Sherlock just knew they would be welcoming a daughter into their home and, with the help of Mrs. Hudson, filled the new nursery with varying shades of pink and purple.

Sherlock and John laid intertwined in bed late on the night of February 15th when the phone's shrill wail woke them.

"Hello." John said groggily. "Yes. What?" John said perking up. "We'll be right there. Sherlock wake up. It's time. Marie's having the baby."

"What?" Sherlock bolted from bed and threw on his clothes before the two ran downstairs to let their landlady know what was happening.

Mrs. Hudson gave them her blessing, and the two took a cab to the hospital. John paced the halls willing the time to pass quicker so their child would be there. Sherlock, however, fiddled with his thumbs. He still didn't know if he could do this. His child was about to be born and he still didn't know if he could do it.

He didn't have much time to dwell, however, because just after midnight a smiling young doctor came towards them.

"Are you John Watson and Sherlock Holmes." The boys nodded anxiously. "Congratulations, you have a beautiful daughter."

They rushed to the nursery where their baby was now sleeping. John got to her first. He gently lifted her up and cradled her to his chest. He couldn't believe how incredible this felt. Sherlock watched in awe. The little girl seemed to belong in John's arms and when he was offered a chance to hold his daughter he felt like he was right in saying he wasn't the fathering type.

Sherlock reluctantly took the sleeping child and looked down at her. The moment he took hold of her it felt right, like she belonged just like the way it looked for John. He couldn't believe the overwhelming surge of love he felt for this tiny person he had just met. She had a mess of dark black curls, and after studying her face, Sherlock was amazed at how much she resembled him and John even though she wasn't their blood. He loved her so much and he knew this was the right decision. Sherlock was content just staring at her, but the moment was forced to an abrupt end by the interruption of his daughter's biological grandmother.

"She's lovely. What's her name?" Claudia asked.

John and Sherlock shared a glance. This woman seemed so cold, but she was their daughter's blood. They couldn't deny her this one thing. They both answered her at the same time.

"Endora."

"Endora Grace Holmes." John added causing Sherlock's jaw to drop and his face to turn red. He was shocked John would want to baby to have his name and his name alone, but he couldn't be happier. After a brief glance at Endora, Claudia left leaving John and Sherlock to gaze at the sleeping child.

They couldn't be happier to welcome their daughter into the world, and they couldn't wait for the adventures that followed for the three of them.


	2. Welcome Home

_Welcome Home:_

"Sherlock? Sherlock, she's fine. Bring her inside, it is cold out." John said balancing a camera in one hand and pushing open the door with another.

Sherlock whipped his head up and glared at John. "I apologize that I'm concerned about our daughter's well-being, John. It's her first time at the flat you know." Sherlock said sharply as he walked briskly through the door.

John laughed under his breath as he followed Sherlock up the steps. "Here we are, Dora. This is our flat." He said, smiling down at the cooing baby from behind the camera.

"John, must you stick that thing right in her face." Sherlock said, annoyed.

"Must you argue about everything I do?" John brought the camera up to Sherlock's face. "Besides, don't you want to have videos to look back on when she's older?"

Sherlock grimaced and continued walking to the spare bedroom which had been converted into a nursery a few weeks prior.

"This is your room, Dora. Father and I still have to fix it up a bit, but I think it's rather nice. Don't you?" John set the camera on the changing table and headed over to Sherlock.

"Let me see her." John said, lifting Endora out of Sherlock's arms.

"You like it here don't you?" Endora cooed causes both Sherlock and John to grin. "Well, I'll take that as a yes. Now, let's go get Mrs. Hudson. She's dying to meet you." John handed her back to Sherlock and grabbed the camera before shooing Sherlock into the living room.

Sherlock settled on the couch and waited while John went downstairs to retrieve Mrs. Hudson. Sherlock looked down at the small child in his arms unable to believe she was his. He was responsible for a whole other person. He sat back pondering that fact when he heard the shrill beep of his phone.

_I heard you were a father now.__**-MH.**_

_** BEEP.**_

_Congratulations.__**-MH.**_

Sherlock debated telling Mycroft to piss off, but another look at Endora changed his mind.

_Thanks.__**-SH.**_

As an after-thought he added,

_Would you like to see her?__**-SH.**_

Sherlock sat nervously waiting for his brother's reply.

_On my way.__**-MH.**_

Moments later the door burst open.

"Oh, Sherlock, let me see her." Mrs. Hudson said, rushing over to join Sherlock on the couch.

Sherlock passed her Endora and grinned, "This is Endora Holmes."

"Oh she's beautiful boys. And look at that hair." Mrs. Hudson said gesturing to Endora's head of dark black curls. "She's going to be a heartbreaker one day."

Sherlock's heart leapt at the thought of his daughter bringing boys home causing John to give an audible laugh. "She won't be old enough for boys for quite some time, Sherlock, no worries." John said.

Sherlock scoffed, "Of course she won't, John. Don't be silly." Though he sounded serious, his face began to turn a light shade of pink causing John and Mrs. Hudson to laugh at him.

The two settled down while Sherlock fumed, but the moment was interrupted by a brisk knock at the door.

"Who in the hell is that?" John asked, puzzled. He headed towards the door and pulled it open before Sherlock could reply.

"Hello, John." Mycroft said. "May I come in?"

"Of course, sure." John said, stepping out of the way to let Mycroft in.

"Hello, Sherlock." Mycroft said.

"Hello, Mycroft."

The tension in 221B was quickly becoming insufferable. The group was silent for several minutes until Endora let out a wail.

"Here, let me get her a bottle." Sherlock said, jumping off the couch and rushing towards the kitchen.

"I best be off, as well. John, she's really quite lovely. Congratulations." Mrs. Hudson passed Endora back to her dad and headed back to her flat.

John and Mycroft shifted awkwardly. "Would you like to hold her?" John asked.

Mycroft nodded and took his niece into his arms. "She's beautiful."

"Thank you." John said smiling.

"Look, I know Sherlock and I don't get along, but don't let that stop you from calling me if you need any help. I worry about Sherlock and you." Mycroft stood and handed Endora back to John. "Thank you for allowing me to see her. I should leave now. Good day, John."

Mycroft left and John sighed. Sherlock was walking back from the kitchen, and Endora began to cry again. John looked down at her suppressing another sigh and said, "Welcome home, Dora."


	3. Bye Bye Daddy

_Bye Bye Daddy:_

The past few weeks at 221B passed with little excitement. John and Sherlock has settled into a routine in which Sherlock took care of Dora when she was happy and smiling, and John got stuck with the nasty side of Dora including her tantrums, diapers, and bath times.

Today, however, was different. John woke up early and prepared himself for work while Sherlock and Dora slept soundly. After he got himself together, he began to prepare a bottle for Dora to take to Sherlock.

Dora began to cry before John finished her bottle causing Sherlock to stir.

"John? John, Dora's crying!" Sherlock called.

"Could you grab her?" John yelled back.

Sherlock came into the kitchen moments later holding out their crying baby. "Here, she wants her daddy."

John pushed his arms back to his chest and handed him Dora's bottle. "Here, you feed her. I best be off. I don't want to be late." John said, grabbing his belongings.

Sherlock's face paled. "Where are you going?"

"To work, remember?" John sighed as it was obvious his husband had forgotten all about it. He had told Sherlock numerous times he would be returning to work today, but some things never stick with Sherlock. "We've talked about this many times."

"Of course we haven't, John. I would have remembered that. You can't leave. What about Dora?" Sherlock panicked. He couldn't care for a child alone.

"You'll be fine, Sherlock. I have to work. Mrs. Hudson is downstairs if you need her." John said, trying to leave, but Sherlock stopped him once more.

"But she wants her daddy." Sherlock held Dora in front of John's face. "Look at that face. How can you leave her?"

"She'll be fine with her father. I have to go now. I'll be home soon. Behave." John said.

"She's a baby, John. What trouble can she get into?" Sherlock mocked.

"I was talking to you. I love you." John kissed both of their heads and exited the flat leaving Sherlock and Dora alone.

"Well Dora, daddy's gone and left us." Sherlock said to the fussing infant he was holding. "Let's get you some breakfast." He headed back to his bedroom and settled down to feed Dora.

She downed her breakfast quickly and seemed satisfied for most of the morning. When lunchtime rolled around, however, things changed. Dora began to cry for lunch, but when Sherlock came to feed her again she refused to eat. She screamed and screamed and nothing Sherlock seemed to do would sooth her.

"Dora, please. What's wrong?" Sherlock pleaded. "Why are you upset?"

The louder Dora's cries got the more worried Sherlock became. When her cries became too much for Sherlock, he rushed downstairs and banged on Mrs. Hudson's door.

"Mrs. Hudson! Mrs. Hudson!" Sherlock called.

"What's wrong, dear?" The wonderful landlady said, opening the door.

"Dora. She's crying and…I don't know what to do."

Mrs. Hudson had never seen Sherlock so distraught. Not since the night he returned from the dead and showed up on Baker Street. "Come in, dear. Let me see her."

Sherlock handed Dora over and began pacing Mrs. Hudson's kitchen.

"I've fed her, bathed her, changed her, tried to put her asleep, played with her, everything, and she's still crying." Sherlock seemed close to tears himself. He hated feeling like he couldn't care for his own child.

"Babies can sense change, dear, and your Dora doesn't like it. John did most of the domestics when it came to her, and you took care of entertaining her. With John going back to work, you have to do it all, and Dora isn't too fond of that. John not being there to take care of her today has probably upset her. You need to find a way to sooth her." Mrs. Hudson led Sherlock to the living room, humming to Dora.

Dora's cries soon turned to whimpers as Mrs. Hudson calmed her. "Here, take her back upstairs and try to get her to sleep. She'll be fine, dear, but if you have any more trouble don't hesitate to call me or come back down. You are doing just fine, Sherlock. Take a breath."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hudson." Sherlock said, taking Dora back into his arms.

"Any time, dear. Good luck." Mrs. Hudson walked him to the door and kissed Dora's head. She waved at Sherlock as he climbed back up the stairs.

Sherlock took Dora back upstairs humming the same tune as Mrs. Hudson hummed to her, but Dora's cries picked up again. Sherlock went inside of his flat and began to pace the living room while humming. Dora's cries did not subdue

"Dora, love, please. Father's here." Sherlock begged. Then, he had an idea. He laid Dora in her infant swing and ran to get his violin. He sat near her and began to play softly, humming as he played.

Dora's cries turned to whimpers, and her eyes began to droop. Sherlock's playing got softer and softer until Dora fell asleep.

Sherlock sat back and breathed a sigh of relief. He finally got Dora to stop crying and sleep, and he felt exhausted. He put his violin away and tidied the flat, so it would be clean when John arrived home.

By the time he finished, it was half past four. John would be home in an hour or so and if he didn't get Dora up soon she wouldn't go to bed on time further disrupting schedule. He lifted her up out of her swing and moved to lay on the couch with the intentions of playing with her. He closed his eyes for a split second before waking her up and didn't open them until John came home.

* * *

_An Hour Later:_

John arrived home frustrated after a long day of work. In the month he'd been away looking after Dora work had piled up, and he wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep. He opened the door of 221B prepared to tell Sherlock to put Dora to bed and give her a bath himself, but the sight he saw made him forget about his unnerving day.

Sherlock was asleep on the couch with Dora sprawled out on his chest. Both of their mouths were hanging open, and they seemed very tired.

John crossed the living room and took a picture before waking Sherlock. "I'm home." He said.

Sherlock seemed slightly dazed. "Wh-what?" He stuttered shaking his head and trying to grasp what was happening. "How was work?" He mumbled as he realized what was going on.

"It was alright. How were things here?"

Sherlock debated telling John exactly what happened that day, but one look at Dora made him think otherwise. Sherlock smiled down at Dora before replying. "We had a great day."

And even though Dora was unsettled, it was all worth it, to Sherlock, to see his daughter soundly asleep in his arms. Sherlock and John had a feeling Sherlock wouldn't have any debates about keeping Dora on his own anytime soon.


	4. Happy Birthday

_Happy Birthday:_

John and Sherlock's first Valentine's Day as parents drew to a close and brought with it the daunting task of celebrating their daughter's first birthday. They planned to have a small celebration in their flat with their landlady, Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock's brother, Mycroft, and John's sister, Harriet, who has never met Dora, but preparing for a party and trying to keep an eye on a mobile child was proving to be quite a challenging task for John, especially since this child was Sherlock's.

Dora was extremely curious and into anything she could get her hands on, and her Father, of course, was nowhere to be found.

"Dora, I thought I told you to stay out of the cabinets." John sighed, rushing over to pick her up. "Where's your Father?"

Dora shook her head and struggled against his grip. "No!" She cried.

John set her down in the living room and turned on the television. "Stay put, Dora. Daddy's trying to clean."

Sherlock swore he would help him, but he was nowhere to be found leaving John responsible for an almost one year old and planning a party.

Cleaning and keeping Dora out of trouble was a nightmare. Whenever John's back was turned, she took off making more messes than what they started with.

"Alright, you win. I give up." John scooped her up and marched to the bedroom. "Sherlock Holmes, Where the hell have you been?" John yelled, setting Dora on the bed.

"You promised to help me with Dora and you are sleeping." John continued shaking Sherlock awake.

"Wh-wha? What's wrong?" Sherlock jumped and looked around.

"Watch her. Don't let her make any more trouble. You do remember we are having company tomorrow don't you?" John left without waiting for a reply and busied himself cleaning and decorating as the guests were arriving kind of early.

"Daddy's in a mood isn't he?" Sherlock mumbled to Dora. "Let's take a nap." He added, laying down and falling back asleep.

* * *

"Sherlock Holmes!" Sherlock jumped once more to the sound of John's voice.

"Look at this! You were supposed to be watching her!" John yelled gesturing to the mess Dora had made in the bedroom while Sherlock was asleep.

Drawers had been emptied and clothes had been thrown in various locations throughout the room, and John wasn't happy. "I'm going to give Dora a bath and then I'm going to put Dora to bed, and if this isn't cleaned up by then, Sherlock, you are going to regret the day you were born. Come on Dora say goodnight to Father." Dora waved and toddled beside John to go get ready for bed leaving Sherlock to deal with the mess she made.

* * *

_The Next Morning:_

The party was quickly approaching, and John and Sherlock were running seriously behind. The food had yet to be prepared, the decorations were not finished, and Dora was still asleep in her crib. John was frantic trying to finish everything before the guests arrived, and Sherlock, well Sherlock was Sherlock. Sherlock was trying to be helpful, but in reality he was standing off to the side criticizing John on his work.

"That's crooked you know." Sherlock pointed to a banner John had just hung. "John? John, are you listening?"

"Would you like to do it yourself, then?" John asked, annoyed.

"I was simply pointing out a fact." Sherlock said, fiddling with different things John had bought for the party. "And honestly John why do we need all of this? She's not going to remember this when she's older. We could've saved ourselves some money and not bought all of these decorations."

"Money is not the point, Sherlock. It's for celebration. It makes it festive. Besides, once she's older and asks about her childhood do you really want to explain we didn't do anything special for her first birthday because her Father wanted to save some money." John argued hanging up more decorations.

Sherlock rolled his eyes and moved to the couch.

"Are you really just going to sit there?" John asked.

"Yes." Sherlock replied flopping onto his back and watching him. "It's more fun this way." He smirked.

John sighed and finished decorating just as the first guest knocked on the door.

John opened the door as it was obvious Sherlock was unwilling to get it and welcomed Mrs. Hudson into the flat. "Hello, Mrs. Hudson."

"Hello, dear. You did a fabulous job decorating the flat looks great." Mrs. Hudson gushed smiling at John. She knew better than to think Sherlock had anything to do with the way things looked. "And where is the birthday girl?" Mrs. Hudson asked.

John paled. In his rush to get the food put together and to finish decorating, he had forgotten to wake his daughter and get her ready for the day. "She's just, uh, taking her morning nap. I'll go get her. Sherlock, behave." John said, rushing to Dora's room.

"Dora, time to get up." John picked her up and changed the still sleeping child into a cute blue dress he had bought her for the party. He searched frantically for her brush and quickly tried to tame her wild hair.

_How could she have hair worse than Sherlock's when she didn't share his DNA_? John thought. Her hair was impossible, and after a few minutes of struggling he gave up and walked back into the living room where he saw that Mycroft had arrived. Mrs. Hudson was doing her best to keep the mood light, but John noticed that everyone relaxed a bit when he entered the room with Dora.

"There she is." Mrs. Hudson cried.

John passed Dora to her and said hello to Mycroft before excusing himself, his sister was late and he wasn't happy. John stepped into the bedroom and pulled out his mobile and dialed Harriet's number. No answer. John decided to send her text and head back into the living room.

_Where are you? Call me.__**-JW**_

John heard nothing for another hour. Everyone had finished eating and were about to prepare cake when John's phone beeped.

_I'm pulling up.__**-HW**_

John excused himself and rushed downstairs hoping to intercept his sister at the door. She was just stepping out of her cab when he got outside.

"Hello, John." Harriet said, smiling.

John frowned. She was almost two hours late without informing him why and she thought everything was okay. John was pissed. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Excuse me?" Harriet asked confused. What did it matter she was here?

"Where were you, Harriet? You were supposed to be here ages ago. You couldn't be bothered to call?" John fumed.

"I'm sorry, John. I'll make sure I call next time. Do you plan on standing out here all day? It's cold out." Harriet moved to enter the flat, but was once again cut off by John.

"I can't let you go up if I can't trust you. Look, that's my family up there, and I don't want you messing it up. I can't have you coming back into my life, into my daughter's life, if you are still drinking or are in any way unreliable. I don't want to bring someone into my daughter's life that can't count on, Harriet, and I'm not sure she can count on you."

Harriet was speechless. Sure, she knew John didn't like her drinking, but she didn't expect him to yell at her in the streets just because she was late to a party. "John, I'm sorry, okay. I'll do better. I promise. Let's just go up."

"I'm not sure I can just take your word on it. I want Dora to have her aunt, I truly do, but I need more than you than just a promise. You've promised me before and you went back on it. Until you can prove you are sober and reliable, I can't allow you to meet Dora. Just go home, Harriet." John turned and headed back into the flat.

"John, wait!" Harriet called, but it was too late. John was already inside.

"It's about time you got back up here. We were about to do cake without you. What took so long?" Sherlock asked once John returned to the flat.

"Oh, just had to return a work call. Sorry. Come on, let's do cake."

Sherlock lit the candle on the tiny cake they got for Dora and carried it to her highchair at the table, and everyone sang.

"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Dora. Happy Birthday to you."  
Sherlock helped her blow out her candle and she immediately dug in.

Dora ate quickly and was soon covered in cake. It was all over her face and had managed to get in her hair.

"Ok, I think her Father gets to give her a bath don't you guys?" John asked his guests.

"Most definitely." Mycroft said.

"Oh, yes." Mrs. Hudson agreed laughing.

Sherlock groaned. "Fine, but only because she is quite adorable when she's covered in cake." He picked her up without thinking to wipe her hands or face, and she wrapped one of her fists tightly around Sherlock's hair causing everyone to burst out laughing.

Sherlock was shocked for a moment once he realized what was happening, then he glared at John. He reached down to the leftover cake on Dora's highchair and smashed it onto John's head causing Mrs. Hudson and Mycroft to laugh again.

John seemed astonished, but Sherlock didn't wait for his reaction. He raced to the bathroom and washed the cake off of Dora and himself and got them both fresh clothes.

He came back in time to say goodbye to Mycroft and Mrs. Hudson. "Thank you for coming. It's been a pleasure really." Sherlock said, mostly to Mrs. Hudson.

"Say goodbye, Dora" John said, taking her from Sherlock.

Dora waved and the guests left successfully ending the first of any childhood birthday parties.

* * *

Sherlock left Dora's bedroom and put his violin away before heading to bed. He had just finished putting Dora to bed and he was longing for sleep. He flopped face first onto the bed nearly causing John to fall.

"Somebody's tired." John laughed. "Busy day?"

Sherlock glared at him. "Shut up." John was mocking him as Sherlock didn't do much to help him preparation wise for the party.

"Good day, then? I think it went rather well." John said.

"Yes. I happen to recall we were one person short. Am I right?"

John nodded.

"What happened to your sister?" Sherlock asked, turning on his side to look at John.

"She couldn't make it." John said bluntly, and Sherlock got the point that he didn't want to talk about her right now. "So, what a year."

"What a year, indeed." Sherlock agreed.

"And you thought you couldn't be a Father." John laughed. "You seem to be doing a fantastic job if you ask me. And if Dora could understand the question, I think she'd agree. She really does love you." John grinned at Sherlock.

"You're not so bad yourself." Sherlock replied half-smiling. "And I'm glad I trusted you. We do make a great little family, don't we?" He laughed and gave John a quick kiss before rolling over. "Goodnight, John."

John smiled. "Goodnight, Sherlock."

* * *

**Author's Note: Thank you to anyone who has followed and favorited this. I'm glad to see people are liking this. Also, I'd like to give special thanks to SmilesSaveLives and RainyDays-and-DayDreams for reviewing. Your reviews made me super happy and keep me motivated to keep up with this. Thank you all for reading. ~AlieCat**


	5. Baby's First Crime Scene

_Baby's First Crime Scene:_

A little over a year and a half had passed since John Watson and Sherlock Holmes had celebrated the first birthday of their daughter, Endora Holmes, and a lot had changed. Dora was now walking and talking circles around her parents, and Sherlock had gone back to helping Lestrade with cases leaving Dora in the care of their landlady, Mrs. Hudson, whenever he was out.

Sherlock hadn't had a case in weeks, and he was becoming restless. He watched Dora color and sighed. He was bored with normality. He needed excitement. Sure, he loved spending time with his family, and he loved his daughter, but the thrill of his work was too tempting to pass up completely. After taking so much time off from solving cases, the normal breaks in between them was agonizing.

He watched Dora for few moments before going to check the website. Nothing. He groaned and flopped back on the couch.

"What's wrong, Father?" Dora asked, looking up from her drawing.

"Nothing's wrong. That's the problem." Sherlock grumbled.

Dora scrunched up her face in confusion. Her Father never made any sense, but she was learning not to bother trying to understand everything he said. Her Daddy had told her some things weren't ever going to make sense with her Father.

Dora went back to drawing, and Sherlock's phone beeped.

_Double homicide. Seems tricky. Interested?__**-Lestrade**_

Finally something exciting.

_On my way.__**-SH**_

"Dora, want to go play with Mrs. Hudson for a bit?" Sherlock asked.

Dora nodded and grabbed her coloring supplies. "Can I bring my colors?"

"Of course." Sherlock said helping her put on her shoes and walked over to Mrs. Hudson's door. "Mrs. Hudson? Mrs. Hudson?" Sherlock called knocking on her door.

He waited a few moments before realizing she wasn't in. "Well, Dora, change of plans. How would you like to go with me to visit Detective Lestrade?"

"Yes!" Dora yelled, elated to see the Detective again, and she followed her Father to the cab.

"Now, we mustn't tell Daddy we came to see Lestrade. Okay? It will be our little secret. Promise me." Sherlock said as they arrived at the crime scene.

"I promise."

"Good." Sherlock got her out of the cab and headed over to Lestrade. "Afternoon, Detective." Sherlock said.

"Um, Sherlock?" Lestrade started eyeing the small toddler standing at Sherlock's side. "Why is your daughter here? For goodness sake, Sherlock, you can't bring a child to a crime scene. Are you mad?"

"The sitter was out. She'll be fine here." Sherlock said, simply.

Lestrade sighed, "Does John know?" He asked nervously.

"Does John know what?" John asked as he walked up passing by his daughter.

"Hi, Daddy!" Dora chirped before remembering her promise to her Father. She moved to stand behind Sherlock but the damage was done.

"Dora, what are you doing here?" John picked her up and shot a glance at Sherlock.

"Father told me I can't tell you. It's a secret." She said, smiling at both of her parents."

"Did he now? Well, then, let me guess. Mrs. Hudson wasn't able to sit and Father was too stubborn to call your Uncle and see if he could watch you?" John asked, well accused, mostly to Sherlock rather than Dora.

Dora shrugged and Sherlock scoffed. "Of course not, John. I made absolutely certain no one could sit, and, once we found out no one was available, she asked to come see Lestrade." Sherlock lied.

"No, I didn't. You asked me if I wanted to come 'cause Mrs. Hudson didn't open the door."

John glared at Sherlock once more. "Maybe we should all head home and talk about it then. Sorry, Lestrade. We'll have to miss this one."

Lestrade threw his hands up and walked away. John hauled a cab, and the family climbed inside. The only cheery member was Dora who was oblivious to her Dad's anger towards her Father. The car ride drug on for ages, and when they arrived Sherlock seemed to find John's continued anger annoying.

"What were you thinking? Couldn't this wait for a sitter?" John asked, keeping his voice low and steady.

"No one was home, and I was bored." Sherlock said flopping onto the couch.

"Dora was fine, John. She was going to stay with an officer for an hour at most and then we'd go home. What's the big deal?" Sherlock groaned. He didn't see why John was so upset. He could make decisions regarding their daughter. He wasn't stupid.

"We'll talk about this later. Come on, Dora. Why don't we go play in your room?"

John took off with Dora leaving Sherlock sulking on the couch.

"Is Father in trouble, Daddy?" Dora asked.

"Yes he is." John said, calming down.

"What did he do?"

"He lied to me."

"Does that mean he has to go to bed early and have no dessert? That's what happens when I lie." Dora said, settling herself onto the floor to play with her puzzles.

"What do you think? Should that be Father's punishment?"

Dora nodded. "But since he's old and should know, he shouldn't have dessert for a week." She said seriously.

"Well, alright then. Why don't you go tell Father then you can come back and play while I talk to him." John said ushering her back into the living room, smiling.

"Father! Father!" Dora yelled, jumping on his chest. "Daddy said you were lying to him. That means you have to go to bed now and no dessert for a whole week. Daddy said."

"Did he now? Dora it's too early for bed." Sherlock was still annoyed and thought John was silly for using their daughter against him.

"That's why it's a punishment. That's what happens when you lie, Father. You told me so. You have to. It's the rule."

Sherlock sighed. If he didn't play along, Dora wouldn't listen to him again anytime soon. John was clever sometimes. Sherlock kissed Dora on her head and went to his room. He laid on the bed and sulked. This was stupid of John. He was just trying to have some fun. He would never do anything he thought was bad for Dora.

Sherlock laid in bed for several minutes before John came in.

"We need to talk." John said.

Sherlock didn't answer.

John sighed. "Sherlock, look, I know you can make decisions for Dora. You're her Father, and she looks up to you, but there are boundaries. She's not even three yet. She's not old enough to be at a crime scene, especially not a murder scene. What if she had wondered off? She could've gotten lost, or hurt, or seen something to upset her for a long time. And then there's your track record. For God's sake Sherlock, you once attracted a man who strapped me to a bomb and tried to make you kill yourself. What if you attract another lunatic and they try to hurt Dora? And then the lying? We are a couple, Sherlock. Even if you I'm going to be mad you need to tell me the truth. I may be furious you took Dora to a crime scene, but we could've talked about it. We need to trust each other, and we need to be in agreement on the big things when it comes to Dora or else she is never going to have stability. We need to be able to talk and decide the right way to guide her in life, and keeping secrets isn't going to help."

"I would never let anything happen to her, John. I shouldn't lie to you, but I'm not going to let anyone even think about hurting her, or you, again. And, I wasn't lying, I just didn't ask permission. I didn't know I had to check in on you when I was caring for our daughter, or is she just yours." Sherlock was mad. He didn't like his intelligence being questions.

"Sherlock, you are missing the point. I don't doubt your ability to protect our family. I would do the same. Taking her with you to help Lestrade is something major, and we need to talk about it before we do anything impulsive. I'm sure there are things you don't want me to do without asking. I love you, Sherlock. Let's stop this. We need to communicate if we are going to make this work. We are in this for life now. There is no going back, so we might as well work together and figure this out." John pleaded.

"Alright, I will talk to you next time, but she's going to have to get used to it sometime. She's a Holmes, after all. She'll be better than you before long. Also, in my defense, you know how boring it can be without cases for a while." Sherlock said.

John breathed a sigh of relief. "We still need to talk, but right now there is a little girl in the living room waiting for dinner. Goodnight, Sherlock." John winked and stood to leave, but he was pulled back onto the bed.

Sherlock stole a kiss and pushed John back off the bed. "Night, John"

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks again to RainyDays-and-DayDreams for reviewing. Knowing people are enjoying this story makes me so happy. Also, just a heads up, my grandfather passed away a few days ago, and my family is going through a difficult time right now. I have several more chapters planned out and I have started writing, but I don't know when I will have a chance to post again. I should be able to post soon, but if not I just wanted to let you know in advance. Thanks for reading. 3


	6. Baby Talk and School Days

_Baby Talk and School Days:_

"Let's have a baby." Sherlock announced early one morning.

"Excuse me?" John asked, choking on his coffee.

"I'm not repeating myself. You heard me just fine." Sherlock said not looking up from his work.

"What brought this on? I had to beg you to agree to adopt Dora." John was shocked. His husband was a wonderful father to their four-year old daughter, Endora Holmes, but John didn't expect Sherlock to ask for another child without prodding.

Sherlock shrugged. "Why not?"

John knew Sherlock wasn't likely to ask again. If he wanted this, he had to jump on it now. "Are you sure? Because you don't have to say you want another baby because you think I do. "

Sherlock didn't glance up. "Research says the older Dora gets the more difficult it will be to introduce a new family member. We may not be as lucky this time in finding a baby, so why not put ourselves on the list now if we want another one. It's better in the long run. Honestly, John, don't you think?"

John paused for a moment, debating whether or not to be angry. He decided against it as it may ruin the chance for further discussion of children.

"Well, as long as you're sure, Sherlock. I don't want to start the process and then you decide you want to back out." John said.

Sherlock glanced up at him for a moment before returning to his computer. "Why would I encourage you to bring anything into my flat that I don't want? Your comprehension skills are severely lacking this morning."

John rolled his eyes. "Well, if you're sure then I can call Catherine in a bit and have her put us back on the list." John grinned at Sherlock, though he didn't look up.

He couldn't believe Sherlock had suggested adopting another child. He was beyond thrilled and wanted to get everything squared away as soon as possible.

John managed to refrain from rushing to call and get everything settled. Instead he waited a few days to make sure Sherlock didn't change his mind before calling the adoption agency they used to adopt Dora. Finally, he got their names on the list and the couple went about their lives as normal, trying not to change too much in Dora's life before they found a baby. It would change enough then. However, as she grew older her life was changing anyway.

* * *

Dora was growing fast, and not long after John and Sherlock made the decision to have another baby Dora was due to start nursery school. She would be entering primary school the following year, and John didn't want her to start without having some experience in school. So on the first day of September, John woke Dora up to get her ready for nursery school just as he would for the next several years. She was dressed in an old tee-shirt and shorts combo, though John fought for her to wear something decent. She had a tiny purple bag with the few supplies she needed, but she didn't want to go. She ran to Sherlock for support.

"Father, don't let Daddy take me. I don't want to go. I want to stay with you."

"Now, Dora, as much as I love spending time with you, you have to go to school. You remember Anderson don't you?" Sherlock asked, ignoring John's questioning look.

Dora nodded, holding on to Sherlock's leg.

"Well, if you don't go to school you will end up with the same IQ level as him, and you are too smart for that. So you go with Daddy to school, and then once you come home I'll teach you a song. Would you like that?" Sherlock asked.

Dora nodded. She had been begging her Father to teach her to play the violin for a while, so she jumped at the chance to learn. She gave Sherlock a kiss and bounded over to John.

John laughed at Sherlock's uncharacteristically kind behavior.

"Shut up and take her to school, John. Don't you have to get to work?" Sherlock replied.

John laughed once more and set out for Dora's school.

* * *

John led Dora into her new classroom. "Look at all the kids, Dora. You'll have someone to play with besides Father and Mrs. Hudson. It'll be fun."

Dora glared up at him. "They look boring. I want to go home."

John rolled his eyes. Sometimes, Dora could be exactly like her Father, stubborn. "Well, you have to stay here for a bit. Then Father will take you home." John bent down to her level and hugged her. "I love you. Have a great day. Father will pick you up at lunch time, okay? You can last until then, right?"

Dora shrugged as John led her over to the teacher and waved goodbye.

"Hello, Dora. I'm Ms. Ellis. Why don't we put your bag away then you can join the other kids, okay?" The young, red-headed teacher said, leading her over to the small cabinets each child stored their stuff in. She opened up the one with Dora's name on it and took her bag, then sent her off to play.

Dora scanned the room. It was nothing special. Sure, it held more toys than she had at home, but they were a ratty collection of mismatched items that had been donated to the school. The children were nothing special either. They seemed ordinary and boring which didn't appeal to her. She was used to the excitement and commotion of 221B. It made everything else seem boring in comparison.

Dora headed to the table in the back with coloring supplies. She loved to color and draw, so that was the only thing that didn't seem boring. She wasn't there for long when a blonde girl her age joined her at the table. "Can I color, too?" She asked.

Dora shrugged, not looking up.

"I'm Elliott." The girl said, smiling.

"Dora." She muttered.

Elliott became quiet allowing the girl across from her to finish her picture, and she started on hers. The two girls worked silently beside each other until their teacher declared it was time to go outside.

Dora and Elliott followed the other kids outside and stood awkwardly a safe distance apart from not only the other kids, but each other.

Elliott, like Dora, found the other kids boring and didn't know what to do.

Dora inched closer to Elliott and asked, "Want to go over to the swings?"

Elliott nodded and raced Dora to the swings beating her by several seconds. "So," she started. "What do you like to do play?"

Dora shrugged, "I like to draw and play board games with Father and Daddy."

"You have two dads?" Elliott asked, intrigued by the notion. "I only have one and a mum and two brothers. Mummy said I'm going to have a sister though. What's it like with two dads?"

The girls exchanged stories of their family life until the teacher herded the children back inside. It was already lunch time and Sherlock was late, but Elliott stayed later than Dora, so the girls continued talking and searching through the toys to see what they could find.

Sherlock arrived an hour late, and Dora rushed over to him the moment he walked through the door. "Father, Father, Daddy said you would be here at lunch time. Where were you? I made a friend. Want to meet her? Her name is Elliott, and she has a mum. Why don't I have a mum? Are you going to be late every day? Why-" Sherlock cut Dora off by picking her up and saying, "Sorry, I'm late. Where is this friend?"

Dora led him over to Elliott and introduced them, but Sherlock and Dora were soon rushed out the door as Ms. Ellis had declared nap time.

Sherlock held Dora's hand as they flagged down a cab.

"Father, will you be there on time next time?" Dora asked.

"I'll try, Dora. But see, it wasn't so bad. You'll have to tell Daddy all about it once he gets home."

Sherlock smiled at Dora's enthusiasm. It was a bittersweet day for him. Of course he was thrilled Dora was making friends, but it was also sad. Sherlock hoped if they had another baby it would take its time growing up. He didn't like all these new changes.

His little girl was growing up, and Sherlock didn't like it one bit.

* * *

Authors Note: Thanks again to RainyDays-and-DayDreams for your review and your continued support.


	7. Second Time Around

_Second Time Around:_

Nine months had passed since Sherlock and John decided to have another baby, and they hadn't heard anything from the agency. Life went on, however, even if it didn't include their second child.

Dora's fifth birthday came and went and was celebrated by throwing her first slumber party. John and Sherlock allowed her friend, Elliot, to stay over, and the girls enjoyed a night of board games, Disney movies, and sweets.

Dora was almost finished with her time in nursery school. She doesn't get on with the other children, but that didn't matter. She had Elliott and that was all she needed. She would be done with nursery school at the end of June, and, in July after a week off, she would go to an art camp for children who would be enrolled in primary school for the upcoming term. Well, they called it an art camp; it was a group of some of the nursery school kids and teachers doing kiddie crafts in an attempt to make nursery school seem more exciting for the kids. Dora was thrilled, though, as it seemed more appealing to a child than going to normal school.

Dora counted down the days and with only two weeks left in June, there were three weeks left until camp began. "Daddy, I only have twenty-one more days until camp. Did you know that?" Dora asked as she got ready for school.

John laughed at her enthusiasm. "Yes, Dora, I know. Let's not get to ahead of ourselves, now. You still have two more weeks of school." He bent down and tied her shoe as she scowled.

"Why do you and Father have to ruin everything?" She said dramatically. Both Sherlock and John had reminded her that camp doesn't start until school ended, and Sherlock, already annoyed with her count down, had suggested she wait until school had let out to count the days until camp.

John laughed again causing Dora's scowl to deepen. "Alright, love, Elliott's mum should be here. Tell her thank you for the ride. Father will pick you up. Have a good day."

"Bye, Daddy." Dora gave him a brief hug and ran out to the car, and John hurried to get ready for work. He needed to go in early and he was already running behind when his phone rang.

"Hello?" John answered, struggling to balance his phone between his head and shoulder so he could put his shoes on.

"Mr. Watson, this is Catherine. I've spoken with a couple who are interested in talking to you and your husband about adopting. Are you interested in coming down?" The agent replied.

"What? Really? Um, yes. That would be lovely. When did you have in mind?" John's shoes lay forgotten on the floor as he gave his full attention to the woman on the phone.

"That's the thing, Mr. Watson. The couple is interested in talking to as many people as possible as soon as they can. We need you and your husband here this afternoon to meet with them or else they may move on."

"Right, what time?" John raced to find a spare bit of paper to write down any information he may need as Catherine began to speak again.

"They'll be down after lunch, around one thirty. Can you make it?"

"Yes, of course. We'll be there. Thank you." John hung up the phone and ran to the bedroom where his husband was still sleeping. "Sherlock! Wake up!"

Sherlock groaned and rolled over clutching the covers tightly. "Go away, John."

"Sherlock, Catherine called. We've got to go down to her office this afternoon."

"Why?" Sherlock grumbled, still half asleep."

"Really, Sherlock. For a so-called genius you can be a bit of an idiot in the mornings."

"Shut up, John."

"There's a couple who wants to meet us. This could be it, Sherlock. Get up. I have to head to work. I'm already late, but meet me there at one thirty and not a second later." John rushed out the door leaving a dazed Sherlock behind.

* * *

Sherlock arrived right at one thirty, and he and John were called back minutes later.

"Hello, Mr. Watson, Mr. Holmes. I'm glad you could make it" Catherine said as John and Sherlock took their seats.

Sherlock looked at the couple seated across from them. They were young, in their early 20's he guessed. They looked like university students, and they seemed very, very nervous.

"Hello," The woman started before Catherine could introduce them. "I'm Maddie and this is Josh. Nice to meet you." She offered John a small smile, which John returned with one of his own.

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm John and this is my husband, Sherlock."

Sherlock nodded at the couple causing John to give him a look. He should know that acting like this was beneath him wouldn't help.

Sherlock took the hint. "Nice to meet you."

Maddie smiled, but Josh remained silent.

"Alright, Mr. Watson and Mr. Holmes, you know how this works, but Miss Clarke and Mr. Murray don't, so I'm going to outline what I'm here for. My job is taking care of the paper work. You four decide what you want and if this is something that works for you then I make sure everything is done legally. I'm also here to help you after the adoption, but we've already discussed this. If you have any questions feel free to ask me." Catherine explained.

Maddie nodded and turned back to Sherlock and John. "So, you have a daughter?"

"Yea, Endora. She turned five in February." John said grinning.

"And how do you get on with her birth parents?" Maddie asked.

Sherlock and John shared a glance. "We have a closed adoption with Dora. We never even met her birth father." John explained.

Josh stood. "We should go, Maddie. I told you this wouldn't work."

"Hold on. Hold on. Just because Dora's birth parent's wanted a closed adoption doesn't mean we are opposed to an open adoption. Let's just talk." John begged. They had waited many months for this chance, and John didn't want it to pass them by just because they had no experience with an open adoption.

Josh seemed angry. "What's there to talk about? You tell us what we want to hear and then you run off with my kid and we never see you again? You aren't entitled to it just because your names are on the list."

"That's not what we are here for, but if you think that someone is going to run off with the baby then maybe adoption isn't for you. You do realize that by agreeing to an adoption, opened or closed, you are agreeing to give up all parental rights. You are allowing somebody else to become the parents of this child and even if you are around in the child's life you can't play parent whenever you want. Yes, you will always be the baby's biological father, but this isn't like a permanent babysitter. Whether you go with us or someone else, they will be the parents, Josh." John lectured. He couldn't believe this man. He seemed to think he could give the baby to someone else to take care of the baby whenever he didn't feel like being a parent, and he could come back and play with the baby whenever it seemed fit.

"John." Catherine said. "Let's calm down. Mr. Murray, you seem to be unsure about this adoption. If you aren't sure, then you don't need to continue pursuing this, but if you are then you either need to calm down and talk to these gentlemen or to another couple. Mr. Watson, think of Dora. Imagine how hard it would be if you had to find another family to raise her. Please give Mr. Murray some consideration. Now, maybe we should call it a day."

"No!" Maddie yelled. "Josh, sit down. We can't give this baby the best home possible, and they might be able to. We should at least talk to them"

Josh reluctantly sat down beside her and glared while Maddie continued.

"So, your daughter, she'll be in school, then, when the baby's born. That's nice. I wanted the baby to have a good family. So, if we were to go through with this, are you willing to let us be involved?"

"Of course. You are potentially giving us the best gift we could ever hope for. As long as it is clear, we are the parents not babysitters. I have no problem with you being involved as the birth parents, but I don't want you to think that every time you are around the baby isn't ours." John said.

It was Sherlock's turn to glare at John. Sure, he was open to the idea of an open adoption, but after Josh's outburst he couldn't be sure if he wanted him near Dora, whether that meant sacrificing this adoption or not, he had to be sure she was going to be taken care of.

John understood the look of concern on Sherlock's face, and Maddie seemed to notice his unease.

"Why don't we just start over? Josh, you wanted a family with another child and they are the only ones with a child we both liked, ok. Just apologize and behave. You said yourself you didn't want to give up university to raise a baby, so we have to find someone." Maddie was desperate. She liked what she read about Sherlock and John, and she didn't want Josh to ruin it because he wanted everything to go his way. They were parents now, even if they chose adoption. He couldn't do that.

"Fine, sorry. I just don't want the baby to grow up thinking its parents skipped out on it. I want it to know we care." Josh said.

"That's understandable. If I had to do what you're doing, I would want to be sure my child knew I cared for them, so I agree. Let's start over. I'm open to an open adoption. Are you, Sherlock?" John asked.

"I think it's wise we all get to know each other a little better before we make a lifelong commitment to each other. Don't you, Miss Clarke?" Sherlock sat forward in his chair with his hands clasped together.

"Yes. Yes, I think that's a good idea. Why don't we meet for lunch? I'd like it if you brought your daughter. I'd like to meet her, if you don't mind." Maddie suggested.

"Alright, we'll meet you for lunch tomorrow, our treat. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to pick our daughter up from school. She'll be unhappy about having to stay late.

Sherlock left and John followed, praying tomorrow would go better than today did.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you RainyDays-and-DayDreams for reviewing.


	8. This Could Work

_This Could Work:_

"Dora, can you come here for a moment? Father and I want to talk to you." John called a few hours after he and Sherlock returned home from the meeting with Maddie and Josh.

"Coming, Daddy." Dora bounded into the living room dragging her bedspread behind her. "What is it?"

John was puzzled. "What are you doing with that?"

"Cold." Dora said simply. "What is it?"

"Right, well, right. Dora, Father and I want to ask you a question."

"Honestly, John, out with it. By the time you ask, Maddie will have already had the baby." Sherlock complained.

"Why don't you talk to her then if I'm not moving fast enough for you?" John snapped back.

"What baby?" Dora asked.

John glared at Sherlock. "See what you've done? I was doing just fine thank you, Sherlock." John turned back to Dora. "Well, Father and I were thinking, maybe it would be nice for you to have a little brother or sister. Would you like that?"

Dora looked confused. Sure, Elliott said she had brothers and a new sister, but Dora didn't really understand the concept. "What does that mean? Is some kid going to live with us?"

"It means that Father and I are going to have another baby. You know how Uncle and Father have the same parents, right?" Dora nodded, remembering a picture Uncle had shown her of Father when he was her age. John continued, "Father and I will have another baby like and you'll be a big sister just like Uncle is a big brother to Father."

"So another kid is going to live with us but you'll be their Daddy too?" Dora asked.

"Yes, but they aren't going to be a random kid. They will be mine and Father's baby just like you, but littler." John explained. He was having a hard time figuring out what to say. How do you explain a new baby to a five-year old? And Sherlock was no help. It wasn't likely he would add much to this conversation if Dora didn't understand what was going on.

"It's not going to take my room is it?" Dora babies taking over her room.

"No." John laughed. "So, would you be okay with this?"

Dora shrugged. "As long as the baby isn't in my room. And the baby has to know, I'm the boss."

This caused Sherlock and John to burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. The next afternoon would be interesting if this was Dora's opinion of the new baby. They couldn't wait.

"Why did you pick me up early?" Dora asked as Sherlock settled her in the waiting cab after picking her up early from school. "And why is Daddy here?"

"We are going to have lunch with some friends. Would you like that?" Sherlock replied.

"Mrs. Hudson and Detective Lestrade?" Dora was unable to think of anyone else that regularly came around besides Uncle, and he didn't count. He and Father weren't very happy when they spent time together.

"No, other friends. Remember when Daddy talked to you about having a baby?" Dora nodded and John took over the conversation.

"We are going to meet with a couple who might help us have a baby."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad. I get to leave school early and have lunch. Yay!" Dora was enthusiastic. She loved eating out and thought it was fun when she got to take days out of school to spend with her parents.

"Father?" Dora asked as they neared the restaurant.

"Yes, Dora?" Sherlock replied.

"When you have the baby, are you going to play the violin for them?"  
"It wouldn't be fair if I played for you and not for them now would it?"

"If you play for them, can you teach me songs to play for them too? I want to be like you." Dora smiled at Sherlock and he smiled back.

John watched the two and smiled as well. He couldn't believe the Sherlock Holmes he saw when he was around their daughter. Even after five years Sherlock was still surprising John with his humanness when it came to Dora. He was different with her. Not cold or the perfect example of a heartless know-it-all, but a loving father with a child who adored him.

Watching Sherlock with Dora, John felt extremely lucky. Sherlock may not always show his love in conventional ways, but he always showed it. He was caring and loving and the best father he knew. John couldn't be happier that they had chosen each other to marry and to start a family with. John couldn't imagine anyone better.

John and Sherlock held Dora's hands as they walked into the restaurant. They spotted Maddie and Josh almost immediately and headed over to the table.

"Hello, Mr. Watson, Mr. Holmes. Nice to see you again." Maddie said as the couple sat down on either side of Dora.

"John and Sherlock, please. It's nice to see you again, too. Hopefully things will end on better terms today. I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Dora. Dora this is Maddie and Josh." John said.

"Hello. Are you the friends giving Father and Daddy a baby?" Dora asked.

"Well, maybe. We haven't decided yet." Maddie said nervously.

John's face turned red with embarrassment as Dora continued.

"I think you should because Father said if I have a brother or sister he will teach me songs, so I can play the violin for them." Dora looked to her Father when the waitress came to take their order. When she was sure he had ordered for her, she turned back to Maddie.

"You play the violin?" Maddie asked Dora.

"Father teaches me sometimes. He's really good."

Maddie smiled at Sherlock and Dora. "That sounds lovely. I'm sure the baby would love that." Maddie felt more strongly about allowing Sherlock and John to adopt the baby after just a few moments with their daughter.

She was happy. Maddie could tell. She seemed to love her parents, and she wanted to be a big sister. Maddie could tell she was well taken care of and her parents loved her. She felt more hopeful about this family now after spending a few moments with them in a casual setting. They seemed capable of giving her baby the things she couldn't, and she hoped Josh noticed.

"Maybe we could discuss what we are looking to get out of this?" Maddie suggested.

"Alright, well I know for us we'd love to be given the chance to raise this child, and giving it a chance to get to know the people who gave him or her to us is a wonderful thing. We just want to be sure our children will be protected. I don't want you going into this with the wrong idea about us. We want you involved as the birth parents if that is what you want, but we want to be sure it is clear that if we adopt the baby we are its parents. We are the ones making the final decisions. We want you to be able to be part of the child's life as its birth parents but we don't want anyone getting the wrong idea." John said looking back at Sherlock as he finished.

"Okay. I understand. You two need to be sure, I get that. We don't want to give you the baby and then come back and act entitled to the baby and all decisions about it. We aren't. We are asking you to take care of our child and to take responsibility for our bad timing. We don't want you to think we don't respect that. We just want to be able to see the baby and be involved as much as you will allow us without overstepping any boundaries." Maddie said.

Josh nodded. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I just don't want the baby to resent us because we weren't there for them."

The two couples chatted for the rest of the meal about what they wanted and didn't want and about their lives outside of this adoption. Sherlock was right. Maddie and Josh were both twenty though Josh was almost twenty-one. They were at university. Josh wanted to be a lawyer, and Maddie wanted to be a teacher. They couldn't give a baby a stable home while they were finishing school. They didn't want their child to suffer because of their mistakes.

Sherlock and John told them about Dora and her school. She helped of course, telling them about Elliott and what she liked to do. Dora helped her parents talk about their family and their life at Baker Street.

By the time the meal was done, everyone knew a great deal more about each other, and everyone seemed on board with the adoption.

"Well," John said as everyone stood to leave. "I think this could work."

Me too." Maddie said. "Maybe we should take a few days to figure out what works and we can set up another appointment with Catherine. Thank you so much for lunch. It was lovely to meet you Dora. I hope to see you again soon."

"Bye." Dora waved.

Sherlock and John led her out of the restaurant and towards their flat.

* * *

Authors Note: Thanks to SmilesSaveLives fro reviewing.


	9. Second First Day

_Second First Day:_

The adoption was final. The paperwork would be taken care of after the baby was born and now they just had to wait. Dora was starting school in a few days and she was excited to go and see Elliott and tell her that she was going to have a new baby brother. Yes, Maddie was having a boy and they were already getting started on preparing the nursery. That had to be put on hold, however, as Sherlock and John had to get Dora ready for primary school.

"Why do I need a new school?" Dora asked. "What's wrong with the old one?" John was brushing her wild curls in an attempt to get her ready for her first day.

"Because you are a big girl now and this is a school for big girls." John tried to convince her but it wasn't working.

"But I was a big girl before, Daddy. You said so."

John sighed as he finished brushing her hair. "Well, you are a bigger girl now. Are you ready to go?"

Dora shrugged.

"Go say bye to Father."

Dora ran to her parent's bedroom and jumped on the bed. "Bye Father. I'll miss you. Will you get me before lunch?"

"Not today. You have to stay a little longer at this school, but you will have fun. Have a good day. I love you." Sherlock hugged her and sent her off to school with John.

The primary school wasn't far from the house. The walk to the school was short making Dora unhappy. "I don't want to go, Daddy. Can't I just stay home? I don't like school."

"You don't know that unless you go in there and try to have fun. Come on let's go find your class." John led Dora down the halls to her classroom. "Here we are. Have a good day. You'll be fine. I love you."

"Love you." Dora grumbled as John left.

"Find your seat." The teacher called and Dora sat down at the desk labeled 'Endora Holmes'

She looked around for Elliott, but by the time class started she hadn't shown up. Dora was nervous. She didn't know anyone here and her Dad promised her Elliott would be at school with her.

The teacher called everyone's name and launched into a boring lecture about what they could expect this year, but Dora didn't care to listen. She was more concerned that her friend wasn't in class with her.

She didn't have much time to fret. As soon as the teacher finished talking, she gave them an assignment to draw a picture of their favorite things which was kind of fun but not as much fun as it would be with Elliott there. Dora and the others worked quietly until the teacher announced it was time to go outside and play.

Dora followed the other children outside where she finally spotted Elliott.

"Elliott, where were you?" Dora called.

"I was in class. I don't like it here, Dora. We don't get to play together all day." Elliott complained.

"I know. I want to go back to the old school."

The girls were silent for a moment thinking of when they were in class together before Dora broke the silence.

"Race you to the swings." The girls took off, their unhappiness forgotten as they played together again.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry this is short. I just wanted something small to go between the previous chapter and the next one. Thank you to RainyDays-and-DayDreams and KittyJeanLightwood for reviewing. Merry Christmas Eve Eve!


	10. Christmas Miracles

_Christmas Miracles:_

Christmas morning, a morning of wonder and magic for most children, was a wonderful morning for the inhabitants of 221B Baker Street. Five-year old Endora Holmes woke up bright and early and raced to the living room to sneak a peek at the goodies Santa had left. Presents were piled high all around the tree, and Dora raced to her parent's bedroom to wake them.

"Father, Daddy, Santa came! Wake up!" Dora shook them until they stirred.

They got out of bed and followed Dora into the living room. John smiled as he sat down next to Dora, but Sherlock dropped down onto the couch fighting to stay awake. It was the same thing every year. Dora made a grab for the presents, but John's phone cut her off.

"Hold on just a minute, Dora. It's Josh." John answered the phone, and Sherlock pulled himself into a sitting position. "Hello. Yes. Really? We are on our way." He hung up the phone and jumped up. "This is it. Maddie is having the baby."

Sherlock and John raced into action. They got dressed quickly and grabbed a couple of things Dora needed to stay with Mrs. Hudson. The Christmas presents lay forgotten under the tree as Sherlock and John led Dora to Mrs. Hudson's flat.

"Mrs. Hudson. Open up." Sherlock pounded on the door anxiously.

"Merry Christmas, Sherlock. What brings you down here so early?" Mrs. Hudson asked.

"The baby's coming." Sherlock said.

"You two hurry to the hospital. I've got Dora."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hudson." John said, and he rushed off with Sherlock.

"Mrs. Hudson, why can't I go with them? I want to see the baby." Dora complained as she walked into Mrs. Hudson's flat.

"You'll see him as soon as he is born, dear. Now, why don't we have some hot chocolate and watch telly for a bit. Would you like that?" Mrs. Hudson pulled out two mugs and got to work before Dora could respond and the two settled down to watch movies and wait.

* * *

Sherlock and John arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes later and were greeted by Josh.

"Hey. The doctor's say it may be a little while. They are in there with her now, but I thought I'd come out and greet you." Josh said when Sherlock and John came into the waiting room.

"How is she?" John asked.

"She's alright. She asked me to tell you she doesn't want any visitors until the baby's born. She's not the happiest when it comes to dealing with pain."

"No problem. We will wait here as long as it takes. Thank you, Josh."

Josh left and Sherlock and John got settled in their seats to wait.

"Can you believe this, Sherlock?" John asked excitedly.

"What? That the baby's coming; we knew that it would be soon, John." Sherlock looked at John with a questioning expression on his face. What was John on about?

"No, well, yes. I mean here we are about to have our second baby. Could you have guessed this from all those years ago when we first met? Flat-mates working together to solve crimes, we'd just met and everyone knew but us. All that time of denying it and now here we are married with kids. John Watson and Sherlock Holmes, are you ready?" John looked at him.

"We wouldn't be here if I wasn't. And to answer your first question yes. I always knew you were different John. I couldn't imagine being here with anyone but you. You're my only friend remember, besides who else could put up with me besides my blogger." Sherlock smiled at him, and they sat holding hands for hours until Josh came back into the waiting room to invite them to see their new son.

* * *

Early Christmas evening, Mycroft showed up at Mrs. Hudson's flat.

"Uncle!" Dora yelled once Mrs. Hudson opened the door. She flung herself into his arms and gave him a hug.

"Merry Christmas, Dora, Mrs. Hudson. Your parents have sent me to pick you and Mrs. Hudson up and take you to see your new brother, Dora." Mycroft told her as he led them out to the car.

"Really, he's here?" Dora asked excitedly. "We have to hurry, Uncle. I need to see my brother.

They rushed to the hospital and up to the nursery where Sherlock and John were waiting for Dora. "Go on in." Mycroft said.

Dora crept into the nursery and rushed over to Sherlock and John. "Can I see him?"

Sherlock lifted her up to see the baby. "That's your brother, Hamish."

Dora smiled at him. "Hi, Hamish, I'm Dora. I'm happy I got to meet you and on Christmas. Thank you for coming today. I think you're a pretty nice present. Don't you think, Father?" Dora waited for Sherlock to nod before continuing. "I'm your big sister, and I'm going to play the violin for you with Father. He taught me how. I bet he'll teach you if you want, but you have to be big like me first. I can't wait for you to come home and see your room. I helped Daddy and Father make it nice for you. I brought you something. I'll leave it in your bed so you can sleep with it. I love you, Hamish." Dora set a stuffed blue elephant next to Hamish and kissed his forehead. "Bye, Hamish. I'll see you soon."

Sherlock led Dora to the waiting room to sit with him while Mrs. Hudson and Mycroft met Hamish.

"Father, when will Hamish get to come home?" Dora asked.

"In a few days. Dora, I'm very proud of you. Hamish is very lucky to have you as a big sister."

Dora hugged Sherlock and laid her head on his shoulder.

They sat there waiting for almost an hour when John came rushing out followed by Mycroft and Mrs. Hudson.

"What's wrong, John?" Sherlock panicked.

Mycroft and Mrs. Hudson gathered Dora and her things and prepared to leave.

"Say bye to your parents." Mycroft said.

Dora gave them both a hug and made them promise to tell Hamish goodnight for her. Then she left with Mrs. Hudson and her Uncle after her Dad promised to call them once they talked to the doctor.

Dora was confused, but Mrs. Hudson told her Hamish just needed some rest. Dora was content with that and chattered happily about her new brother all the way back to Mrs. Hudson's.

Sherlock, however, waited nervously until Dora was out of earshot. "What is it, John? What's wrong?" He was panicked and he could tell by his husband's expression it was not good.

"The doctor came in with some of Hamish's test results. He said-he said there is something wrong with his heart. They are taking him in for surgery, Sherlock, but it doesn't look good. Hamish might not make it."

* * *

Authors Note: Merry Christmas everyone. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this story, and an even bigger thanks to those who take the time to review. Thank you to Rumbleroar'sSlumberingCubs for reviewing. I love hearing from you. I hope you all enjoy your holidays, and I hope Santa brought you everything you asked for.


	11. And Boxing Day Tragedies

_And Boxing Day Tragedies:_

_One year later:_

"John, again with the camera, must you record everything?" Sherlock groaned as his husband recorded every step he took with Hamish.

"Not only is it Hamish's first Christmas it's his first birthday. You could allow me to enjoy this instead of complaining about the bloody camera." John remarked back to him.

"Daddy, Father, can we go down and open presents yet?" Dora asked impatiently. "Hamish and I waited all year for this." She huffed dramatically.

Sherlock and John laughed and headed into the living room. John set Hamish down between him and Dora and Sherlock sat on the couch.

"Look at all the presents Santa brought us, Hamish!" Dora yelled.

"Mine!" Hamish exclaimed, plucking a bow from one of the boxes and clutching it to his chest.

"No, that's not how you do it. Here," Dora set a box in his lap and took his hands. "You got to tear it off and see what's inside." Dora helped Hamish unwrap all of his presents and then her own, and the two Watson-Holmes kids sat in the middle of a sea of wrapping paper.

This was a wonderful Christmas. Dora and Hamish both had mountains of presents and even better. John brought in two small cupcakes and allowed Hamish and Dora to have them for breakfast to celebrate Hamish's first birthday.

Hamish was happy. Dora was happy. The whole family was happy. The heart condition that almost cost them Hamish's life was long forgotten. It was a wonderful year. Everything was wonderful. Life was-

_"John? Wake up."_

What?

_ "John, the doctor is coming."_

Life was horrible, one hundred percent horrible.

The pale morning light shined weakly through the waiting room windows. Hamish had been in surgery all night and they hadn't heard anything. They weren't sure they wanted to hear what the doctor had to say. To John, waiting in agony was better than knowing their son would never come home with them.

"Mr. Watson and Mr. Holmes?" The doctor asked.

"Yes?" John asked, gripping Sherlock's hand tightly.

"What is it?" Sherlock added.

"I'm terribly sorry to tell you this, but Hamish didn't make it." The doctor's apologetic tone did nothing to soothe John. His son was never going to come home and that hurt could never go away.

John collapsed into Sherlock's arms. He couldn't take this. Why was this happening to them? They didn't deserve this. Hamish didn't deserve this. He was an innocent baby who just last night was sleeping soundly in his arms. Why? Why? Why?

John was speechless, unable to make a sound. Sherlock left him in the waiting room to talk with Maddie and Josh about what they were going to do next. He came back for him several minutes later and led John out of the hospital.

"Let's go home, John. There is nothing we can do there."

* * *

The ride home was silent and John went straight up to the nursery where he would sit for the next several days while Sherlock went to Mrs. Hudson's to deliver the news.

Dora was curled up on the couch next to Mycroft. She was still sound asleep, but Mycroft and Mrs. Hudson looked like they hadn't slept all night.

"Oh, Sherlock." Mrs. Hudson said as she opened the door. She could tell by the look on his face that the worst had happened. "Why don't you go on and spend some time alone or with John? We can keep an eye on Dora for a while longer."

"No, no, I want to take her home. The sooner I tell her, the easier it will be." Sherlock walked over to the couch and shook Dora's shoulder. "It's time to wake up. Want to go home?"

"Is Hamish home yet?" Dora mumbled half asleep.

"No, he's not. Why don't we go home and talk about him?"

Sherlock carried Dora up the stairs to their flat and went to her bedroom.

"Listen, Dora. We need to have a serious talk. Now, I know you loved your brother very much and he loved you, but Hamish got very sick last night. His heart was broken and he didn't make it. He isn't coming home." Sherlock explained.

Dora's face scrunched up. She was confused. "You mean he can't come home today?"

"No, I mean he won't ever come home. He died, Dora. I'm so, so sorry. I know you loved Hamish and wanted to be his big sister. I loved him, too. I wanted to be Hamish's Father very badly, but we need to be strong for Daddy. He loved Hamish, too, and he isn't doing very well. I need you to be strong for me and for Hamish because he wouldn't want us to be sad. He would want us to be happy for him because he can't be here to be happy with his family. Can you be strong for me and help Daddy feel better?"

Dora nodded, but she didn't understand. Why couldn't her brother come home with her? Where was he? She wished she could see him and understand, but she needed to be strong for Daddy like Father said.

Sherlock left the room to check on John, and Dora sat in her room trying to understand what she had to do to make her family happy.

* * *

The funeral was held a week later. Dora stood in between her parents wearing her red dress that was meant for Christmas. John cried most of the day, but Sherlock stayed quiet. Mycroft and Mrs. Hudson tried to keep Dora from becoming upset. They even introduced her to a woman who claimed she was her Aunt Harriett, her Daddy's sister, but Dora wasn't in the mood to meet new people. She just wanted to go back to Christmas Day where her baby brother was still alive and her parents were happy.

Sherlock and John hadn't spoken much since Hamish died. John stayed in the nursery most of the time leaving Sherlock to try and care for Dora alone while he was grieving. They got by, but it wasn't easy. Dora was quiet too. She spent most of her time in her room coloring. She loved to color and as she stood by the hole in the ground that her brother would soon occupy she closed her eyes and tried to pretend she was in her room coloring with him beside her.

She didn't want her brother to go. She didn't get to help him learn the violin or play for him. She didn't get to do all the big sister things she planned on doing. All she wanted to do was cry especially now that he was being buried. She would never see him again and that hurt her more than anything ever hurt her before, but she had to be strong for Daddy like Father said.

Late the night of the funeral, after her Father had crawled into bed and her Daddy had fallen asleep next to Hamish's empty crib, Dora crept over to the Christmas tree. The presents were still there untouched. She searched through them looking at all the labels but not opening one until she got to the very bottom of the pile. She noticed her Father's handwriting on the small label, but it wasn't from him.

_To: Endora_

_From: Hamish_

Dora knew she shouldn't open it without her parents, but Christmas was long over and opening one present couldn't hurt. She pulled out a brown sock monkey with white polka dots and found a card. She stared at it for a long time sounding out the words in her head. It said:

_Dear Endora,_

_I'm probably not there to see you open this, but I wanted to thank you for being such a good sister even though I'm not there with you. I wanted to get you something. This is Elf the sock monkey. He will keep you company when I'm not there. _

_Merry Christmas._

_Love,_

_Hamish_

Dora pondered the letter for a bit trying to understand its meaning, but once she understood it she hugged Elf to her chest and cried. She knew she shouldn't because she promised her Father she would be happy for her Daddy, but the letter made her sad. Hamish gave her Elf so she wouldn't be lonely without him and now he was never coming home to keep her company.

Dora slept there that night by the tree. This had been a long journey for her with a horrible end. She was so excited to have a baby brother to love and care for and now that was ripped away from her. She barely got to know him and now she was forced to say goodbye. It wasn't fair.

All the tears she was unable to cry in front of John came out now as she lay under the tree clutching her new toy. She wouldn't sleep without it again. Why did it have to be Hamish? Why her brother?

Dora and her parents would never have the answer to that question, and they would never want to take this chance again. The loss cut them and damaged them in ways that hadn't even begun to surface. All it took to destroy her Christmas miracle was one quick sentence. That is enough to destroy worlds.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you once again for reading this. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you thought, and I hope you all had a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday Season.


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